Logs being burnt in wood burning stove

This iron log burner was out in the open near a farm. Probably to generate energy for the farm on which this stove is kept. Logs of wood cut and stored next to a large iron or metal stove. Operates on coal.

A peek inside the iron stove. Logs are being pushed inside.

A photograph of the inside of the wood burner stove with large logs burning inside. Hot coals are creating the fire.

Some unrelated miscellaneous images: Pylon or Transmission Tower graphics or Old ledgers, files and papers or
Clothes Lines or Stock images of empty or unused pipes or or Tandoor Oven, tandoori rotis and cooks

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Pesticide Spraying

Pesticide spraying if properly regulated and judiciously used helps crops improve their yield. Pesticides are designed to kill insects, fungus, bacteria and other pests which prey on crops. Unfortunately, the chemical pesticides are toxic chemicals which can affect human health, more so if improperly administered.

Pesticides residue on farming produce is harmful to consumers. Pesticides are also carried in the air, and they mix with water and the soil, which in turn affects livestock and drinking water supplies. It also affects those who actually carry out the work of spraying.

Look at this man, he is not wearing any protective gear while spraying pesticide on the crops. It is likely that he is unaware of the dangers.The toxic chemicals can enter the human body through the skin, eyes, mouth and nose.

The danger from pesticide use is widespread, specially in countries like India where there is greater illiteracy. Farmers often cannot understand the instructions given on the label.

You might also like: Working without protective gear
Or Plastic Pollution or Diwali Air Pollution or see all images filed under the label "Environment"

Or images of Man and Bullock cultivating field or Palm Plantations of Malaysia or Rubber Plantations in Kerala

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Melting Glaciers

There comes a time of the year when the snow starts to melt on the Swiss Alps and these are some photographs of the mountains with the melting snow. What is significant is that the glaciers retreating and thinning. These environmental changes which will impact the climate of the world have taken place over hundreds of years and could create flooding too. More and more of the mountains lie exposed today and earlier in the season.

As it says here on the Swiss government site:

Between 1850 and 1970 alpine glaciers lost at least one third of their surface area and about half their density.

A thin layer of ice and snow covers a steep slope of a Swiss mountain. Tourists walk along a narrow and slippery path in the middle of the mountain.

A thin blanket of snow covering a part of a Swiss mountain.

The rocky surface underneath the mountain can be seen underneath the thin layer of ice on this Swiss mountain.

The snow and ice has all but melted on this mountain slope in Switzerland.

Related Images: Panoramic views of the Swiss Alps: Photos taken from Jungfrau, a summit in the Swiss Alps Or breathtaking scenes from Switzerland: Swiss Alps from the air or Lake Lucerne Photos

Or check out all the photographs on Switzerland , including that of people and places.

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Industrialisation urbanisation and nature

Industrialisation is a necessary evil, and it has extracted a heavy price - pollution of the earth and its beauty. These images bring out the contrast between development polluting the beauty of nature.

Factories may be necessary but they leave a trail of destruction and the uglification of the earth and nature. This is a factory spewing its dirty black smoke and polluting the air not to mention ruining the scenery.

This symbolizes how a green landscape is falling prey to builder lobbies. The patch of green left inbetween buildings is now being developed to host commercial complexes and apartment buildings.

Bill boards and hoardings may be necessary, but certainly not in places where they destroy the landscape. This ugly hoarding ruins the green look of the hills. Companies should be more conscious of where they put their advertisements.

High rises are coming up everywhere, ruining the view. Soon when we talk of the "view" we will mean the view of the urban jungle.

Another ugly hoarding standing in contrast to the greenness of nature.

You might also like: Rocky Dadar Beach or Plastic Pollution or Diwali Air Pollution or
see all images under the label "Environment"

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Masked girls and women of Pune

The masked women of Pune are an anomaly. They are modern, drive their own vehicles, work outside the home, and are well educated. Yet they tie a scarf which covers their face and hair. A visitor might think this is some sort of repression going on. A gang of visiting Muslim girls from Kashmir asked one of the masked girls why they did this when they don't have to! Well, the answer was "Pollution!" Pune air is polluted and the sun is harsh. Driving a two-wheeler on a regular basis spoils the hair not to mention the delicate facial skin.

A young girl riding a scooter with a white scarf covering her face.

A young woman driving a scooter with a light blue scarf covering her face and head.

And the kids are learning young to protect themselves against the elements! Here is a small child with a mask and goggles.

A saree-clad woman in a pink mask and another woman in a salwar kameez riding double seat behind her, also in a mask, a purple scarf. Behind her is another jean clad young lady in a white scarf!

Rani of Jhansi Statue in Pune or Women cycling in India or Young girls enjoying an ice-cream bar
Or you might also like other pictures on Indian Women.
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Diwali Air Pollution

This is a view from a high-rise building of the Diwali air pollution and contamination because of bursting of fire-crackers. It's worse than smog. A pity the noise pollution is not reflected here because as this photograph was being taken the sounds were deafening - over 100 decibels and this was from a high-rise Cannot imagine what it was like down there. I wonder how many people's ears, specially children's were damaged forever. Check this site which tells you what harm you have done to yourself.

If a sound reaches 85 dB or stronger, it can cause permanent damage to your hearing. The amount of time you listen to a sound affects how much damage it will cause.

Many crackers are around 120 DB and even a one-time exposure can cause permanant damage!

If so much smoke can be seen you can imagine the number of chemicals being released in the air. And ofcourse the amount of noise.

It's amazing that educated people are not aware that the noise will damage their children's ear-drums, not just theirs. As for the air pollution, asthma patients are holed up. And a lot more are being born. Every Diwali more and more people with respiratory problems surface.

I do not think the Gods will forgive humanity for ruining the earth in their name. Yesterday was the most auspicious day of Diwali, and it was hard to see educated people make deafening noises and polluting the air with not just smoke but noxious chemicals. But ofcourse there will never be any laws on this. In this country lecherous and drunken behavior is allowed in religious processions. Noise and air pollution too is allowed in the name of religion. Let us hope that the next generation of Indians are better informed.

Related Images: Plastic Pollution or Rocky Dadar Beach
Or Indian cities lit up at night with Diwali lights and Diya graphics and illustrations and Sketch

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Clothes Lines

These are pictures of clothes hung out to dry in the sun, on the streets, on balconies, in the fields in rural Indian and on terraces of houses. Unlike developed countries hardly anyone in India uses dryers to dry their clothes. This might result in the uglification of buildings and the streets, but it saves the earth from green-house gases. And strangely enough, I found that there was something artistic about these clothes which were hung out to dry. Some type of random art.

This first one shows some trousers and shirts hanging out to dry on a fence. Slum dwellers who live under a flyover bridge have hung their clothes here.

This building looks ugly because of the tarpaulin (which protects the houses from the Mumbai monsoons) and also the clothes which are hanging out to dry on the small balconies and even the barred windows. These are very tiny apartments and have no other space to dry their clothes.

Clothes drying in a backyard in rural India.

People dry their clothes wherever they can, and that includes in a ditch near their hut and near some abandoned pipes. Possibly this is near a construction site.

A novel way to dry clothes, and that too in the shade! These clothes have been hung out to dry in a farmer's field, under an open water tank.

A ramshackle clothesline in rural India. A clothes line on thin wooden branches, a kind of makeshift clothes line. Clothes hanging in the open air dry quickly in Indian weather, even if it rains!

Related Images: Dhobi Ghat in Pune

Rocky Dadar Beach

It is difficult for me to imaagine now that this was the very beach I played on as a child. It had a vast expanse of smooth brown sand and we used to sit here for hours making sand castles and playing on the beach. My aunt has a house on the beach front, still has. But this is what Dadar beach looks like now. Reclamation in South Mumbai is said to have caused this sad situation. Sad for the residents of this stretch as their view and space is gone. Long walks, and gazing in silence at the sunset are relic past-times. Citizens pay the price for the greed of commercial interests.

More pictures of beaches: Daman Beach Scenes - Black Sands or Nature headers of beach scenes or Beach Scenes of different beaches or Beach Scenes for backgrounds  or try the label Beaches for all photographs with a beach.

Plastic Pollution

These are two pictures of the forty feet deep moat at Daulatabad Fort, Aurangabad. Qhat we saw from the bridge was sad. Empty and used plastic water bottles thrown carelessly over the bridge into the moss ridden waters. Clearly the upkeep of the Fort is wanting, and as for civic sense of the public, the less said the better.

The water looks murky and dirty as well. It's actually solidified with the thickness of the moss. The bottles cannot be said to be floating as the moss makes the water appear solid.

Related Viewing: Eco friendly shopping cartons

Eco friendly shopping cartons

This picture is a depiction of an eco-friendly practice in South Korea. Plastic bags are not given to shoppers. Instead cardboard cartons (which the goods come in) are kept at the exit. Customers have to use these to carry their shopping home.